[Photo: PARLIAMENT OF FIJI/ FACEBOOK]

Fiji’s Crown Land Lease System has come under sharp scrutiny after an Auditor-General’s report exposed major failures in land records, revenue tracking and digital infrastructure.

The report, tabled in Parliament and reviewed by the Public Accounts Committee, found the system is outdated, insecure and no longer fit for purpose. It said weak controls and poor data management have affected the way Crown and State land leases are recorded and monitored.

Committee Chairman Manoa Kamikamica said the audit was carried out to assess whether the system is efficient, effective, secure and fit for managing one of Fiji’s most valuable assets, State land.

He said the review covered the period from 2020 to 2023.

The report raised concern over missing safeguards for critical land data. It also identified errors in lease interest calculations and mismatches between land records and Government financial systems.

Opposition MP Alvick Maharaj said the problems reflect decades of neglect. He said the system is still running on outdated technology, describing it as a digital dinosaur. He warned that lease charges have been miscalculated for years.

Maharaj said expired lease revenue is not fully captured in national accounts. He said this creates gaps in Government revenue reporting. He also questioned the accuracy of budget planning.

Government MPs acknowledged the issues but said work is already underway to fix them.

Lands Minister Filimoni Vosarogo confirmed the system is being upgraded from a legacy Oracle platform to a modern SQL-based system.

He said testing is underway before full rollout. He said the process is slow to protect data and ensure system stability. He also said audit logs and financial controls have been strengthened.

Assistant Minister Jovesa Vocea said the audit highlighted weak data reliability and system inefficiencies. He said these problems have affected revenue collection and decision-making.

The Public Accounts Committee recommended a full system overhaul. It also called for better coordination between the Ministry of Lands and the Ministry of Finance.

Agriculture Minister Sakiusa Tubuna said inaccurate land records have led to lost revenue. He said some Crown land is underused while lease payments remain low. He called for faster reforms and stronger political will.

Committee Chair Kamikamica said the findings support the National Digital Strategy. He said Government systems must be modernised to reduce duplication and improve efficiency.

Parliament voted in favour of the report. Parliament agreed that urgent reform is needed to fix long-standing weaknesses in land administration and revenue management.